What’s it like being a student and a new parent at the same time? In this #MakingItWork real life story, Jenni tells us how she juggled study, part time work and breastfeeding.
“I was 20 when I got pregnant, 21 when I had my little girl and began our breastfeeding journey! I was in the middle of my foundation degree which I was going to night classes to finish – I was also working full time in Burger King while doing placements for my course, and moving house! I found that there wasn’t much support on breastfeeding and I went into it pretty blind. When my baby was 2 months old I returned to night classes, I had a bottle refuser so was actually bringing my little girl to class with me and then leaving her with my mum when possible and running over every 3 hours to feed her so I ended up missing out on a lot of course content. Then when she was 7 months I went back to work in Burger King, returning home on my lunch break to fill my little one with her favourite drink! I passed my course however! I was able to graduate from Stranmillis and get myself a new job in a day nursery, little one is now able to take a cup, however still nurses to sleep every night.”
It’s brilliant that Jenni was able to complete her course, and that she was sometimes able to bring her daughter to class in order to continue breastfeeding. But it may not always be a straightforward process – many student parents feel that they are, at best, overlooked by their college or university, and that more adjustments and allowances could be made. This article in the Guardian states that “Sixty per cent of student parents have considered leaving their course, a number which rises to 65% for single parents.”
Education institutions should make the same types of provisions as employers for women who are returning to study and wish to continue breastfeeding. A good first step is to talk to your place of study as soon as possible, telling them that you intend to continue breastfeeding after your return. For more information on the types of allowances that should be made, check out this blog post: https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/breastfeeding-mothers-returning-to-work-top-5-tips/
It’s worth taking maternity and/or sex discrimination legislation into account too. The NHS/UNICEF Start4Life booklet, “Breastfeeding After Returning to Work or Study” states:
“The law protects students against maternity discrimination. This means that you are protected against unfavourable treatment because you have given birth in the last 26 weeks or are breastfeeding a baby under 26 weeks. Your course provider must not treat you unfavourably because you are breastfeeding. Unfavourable treatment could include refusing to allow you to take part in the course, refusing certain benefits or services or treating you differently. If your baby is over 26 weeks old it is likely to be direct sex discrimination if you are treated less favourably than you would have been treated if you were not breastfeeding.”
You can find more information on this subject here (breastfeeding information starts on p.17): http://www.ecu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/external/student-pregnancy-and-maternity-implications-for-heis.pdf
In summary, returning to study shouldn’t be a barrier to breastfeeding, and vice versa. As one student stated in the article quoted above, “Student parents make fantastic students. You can’t balance a degree and the overwhelming job of parenting without being hardworking and resilient. I’m even more determined to succeed now I’m studying for my daughter’s future, as well as my own.”
To read more about Making It Work, BfN’s campaign for breastfeeding mothers returning to work or study, click the image below:
